Saving a family trapped in an SUV doesn't make Zimmerman a saint

George Zimmerman got out of his car once again to take matters into his own hands.

Only this time, there’s no question whether he did the right thing. Or is there?

Leave it to America to debate the merits of Zimmerman last week pulling to safety a family of four from an overturned SUV along I4 near Orlando.

What a guy, right? That's just Zimmerman's nature, some are opining on social networks. Could be.

Or was this a staged event as some people suggest?

Or did Zimmy take a quick second first to check the race of the family before deeming them worthy of rescue? Some people wonder.

That is the thing about history. People don't forget easily.

When you hear the names George Zimmerman and SUV in the same sentence, you think of a crime show, right?

Actually, that would be SVU, but you know what I mean. I hear Zimmerman, I think teen shooting death. I think Trayvon.

That’s why it was so surreal to hear the fortune that befell Mr. Zimmerman when he came across that recent crash scene. Did he see a crack at redemption? Either way, police say Zimmerman joined another man in freeing the family.

Good work Z. But as a friend said when she heard the story, “That doesn’t make you a saint.”

We all wish Zimmerman was at least a hero. That somehow he did the right thing the night he came across, or chased, 17-year-old Martin. But there are too many doubts. Too many questions. Too many other paths Zimmerman, the adult dealing with a child packing Skittles, could have taken. Many of us believe that night could have ended with no one harmed if Zimmerman had just stayed in his car, or at home. Or at least left his gun there.

So he got out of his car again and did the right thing, this time.

That’s great, especially for that fortunate family.

But when I hear Zimmerman’s name, I can’t help but think about the Martin family.

That’s just how word association works. And history.

Daniel Vasquez may be reached at dvasquez@sunsentinel.com. Or Twitter@ConsumerDan.